Quantum technology is moving from fundamental research to practical industrial systems, while academia has become part of the infrastructure itself, aiming to take a leading position at the forefront of this critical field. Will the promise be fulfilled?

In recent years, quantum computing has been perceived as one of the great promises of the technology world. But the headlines about massive investments and new startups hide a more complex picture.

The field, which grew out of fundamental physics research, is now at a transition point – no longer purely theoretical science, but not yet a mature technology either. Three leading researchers, each working with a different approach, offer an inside view of the tension between promise and proof, between lab and product, and between academic knowledge and national strategy.

Professor Nir Davidson from the Quantum Physics Laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science has spent nearly 30 years working with cold neutral atoms – atoms cooled to nearly absolute-zero (microkelvin) temperatures and trapped using lasers, thereby enabling highly precise control.

“For years we studied quantum physics without thinking it would become a technology”, he says, referring to the period when the field was considered purely fundamental research. That has changed in recent years, with atoms becoming one of the leading platforms for building quantum computers. “In hindsight, focusing on cold atoms was a very good decision”, says Prof. Davidson, emphasizing that although there is no clear winner among the technologies, there is now a broad agreement that cold atoms are among the approaches leading the race.

Professor Davidson views the global trend of physicists moving from academia into industry not only as a technological shift but also as a human change. “The knowledge is created in universities, so the transition to application passes through the researchers themselves”, he says, “but the professors’ involvement is not a side phenomenon; it is almost a prerequisite at the present stage of the field”.

This trend is especially prominent in Israel. Within just a few years, a significant group of quantum companies has emerged, primarily in the hardware sector, at a scale unusual for a country of its size. Prof. Davidson also emphasizes the diversity of approaches: “Israel is active in almost all of the leading technologies, so we will have a presence in whichever one wins”. According to him, this broad participation is not only a scientific consideration but also a strategic one: the ability to remain relevant in a field defined from the outset as critical to the future.

The transition from academia to industry is not a matter of theory for Prof. Davidson. After decades of fundamental research as a partner in the Quantum Sensors Consortium, he became one of the founders of Q-Factor, a company seeking to develop a quantum computer based on cold atoms. From his perspective, this is a direct continuation of the same research. From this vantage point, the central question of the entire field becomes clearer: is this a technology on the verge of a breakthrough, or is it still a scientific effort with an unclear timeline?

Does he regard quantum computing as a real promise? “I can’t prove it, but my level of belief is high enough to stake my most valuable assets: time, knowledge, and energy”, Prof. Davidson replies. “I believe that if we take the physical understanding we have today and invest in technology, there is a reasonable chance that within ten years there will be a working quantum computer”.

Beyond its technological potential, Prof. Davidson sees the quantum computer as a scientific achievement of historic proportions. “The very existence of such a computer will teach us an enormous amount about physics”, he says. “Even if it has no practical applications, it would still be a tremendous achievement”. Like the moon landing, this effort is defined first and foremost by the breakthrough itself.

This is where the gap defining the field’s current stage becomes clearer: the goal cannot be achieved through academia alone. “If I had to build a quantum computer at the Weizmann Institute in the next ten years, I would definitely lose the competition”, explains Prof. Davidson.  Academia possesses the knowledge, but it does not have the resources or capabilities required to transform that knowledge into a fully functioning large-scale system.

He acknowledges that although academic funding enables fundamental research, it is far from sufficient to build a complete system. The gap between academic resources and those required for significant technological development is huge, sometimes even ten times larger. The significance is a deep structural shift. Ideas are born in academia, but their development and maturation move into industry, where companies know how to advance the technology.

Is the field still at a scientific stage, or has it already moved into a technological phase? For Prof. Davidson, the answer is complex. “I think it’s both. There is no doubt that science is incomplete. And yet, there is no distinct boundary between science and technology”, he adds. “Even within companies themselves, the research component remains significant. A large share of the R&D personnel consists of PhDs in physics, indicating how deeply the field relies on scientific knowledge. And since training a quantum physicist is a long process – at least ten........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)